Oxyallagma colombianum, Bota, Cornelio Andrés, 2014

Bota, Cornelio Andrés, 2014, A brief look at the Odonata from the Páramo ecosystems in Colombia, with the descriptions of Oxyallagma colombianum sp. nov. and Rhionaeschna caligo sp. nov. (Odonata: Coenagrionidae, Aeshnidae, Libellulidae), Zootaxa 3856 (2), pp. 192-210 : 197-199

Oxyallagma colombianum sp. nov.

Figs. 4 b (teneral habitus ♂), 5a (pair in copula), 5b (pair in tandem, dorsal view), 5c (ovipositing pair), 5d (pair in tandem), 6a - d (diagnostic traits), 7 (map), Table 1 (coordinates)

Etymology. In reference to Colombia, the beautiful country where this species was found.

Examined material. 21 ♂ & 8 F Colombia: Antioquia: Páramo Las Baldías: 1 ♂, 16.vii.2013, Leg: J. R. Albertino & A. L. Montoya. Páramo El Morro: 1♂, 9.v.2011, Leg: C. Bota & J. D. Castaño. Páramo Sabanas: 5 ♂, 1 – 3.x.2011, Leg: C. Bota & J.D. Castaño. 1 ♂, path from Belmira town toward El Morro, 6°37'N 75°40'W 2950 m approx., 16.vii.2012. 5 ♂ & 3♀, Belmira, Corregimiento Labores, Finca El Paraíso, N 6°40' W 75°38', 5 – 7.iv.2012, Leg: C. Moreno, S. Bota, T. Bota & C. Bota. 1 ♂, Municipality of La Ceja: Township Las Lomitas, N 6°0' W 75°23' 2300m approx., xi.2009, Leg: J. Campuzano. Municipality of Medellín, Corregimiento San Antonio de Prado: 1 ♀, Township Astilleros: Truchera Los Muñoz: N 6°14,858' W 75°39,900' 2600m, 3.vi.2010, Leg: G. Valencia & J. Cardona — D. Township Potrerito: N 6°10'26,4" W 75°40'58,1" 2700 m, 1 ♀, 9.viii.2001, Leg: M. Castaño. 1 ♂, 9.ix.2001, Leg: M. C. Vélez. Leg: A. Clavijo & Y. Correa, 2 ♂, 5.iii.2011. 1 ♂ & 2 ♀, 12.vii.2010. 1 ♀, 14.xi.2011, Leg: J. Ortiz. 2 ♂, 18.i.2013, Leg: N. Uribe. 1 ♂, Santander: Municipality of Piedecuesta: Corregimiento Sevilla: Finca El Razgón: N 7°2'30" W 72°59'23" 2250m, 28.vii.2001, Leg: A. Veléz & P. Duque.

Description. Holotype. Body covered with golden hairs. Head. Labium, labrum, base of mandible, gena, anteclypeus, and rear of head ivory white. Labrum with small black medio - basal spot. Anteclypeus with round brown spot on each side. Postclypeus, antenna, and frons reddish brown, postocular spots absent, with some green iridescence. Rear of head dorsally ivory white and ventrally pale blue. Occipital bar absent. Frons rounded. Postocular lobes protruding backwards beyond level of hind margin of compound eyes ( Figs. 5 a - d). Thorax. Prothorax reddish brown with some iridescent green spots on pleural and dorsal sides, medial lobe of posterior prothoracic lobe developed into caudally projected, rounded plate with smoothly rounded margins and posterior edge slightly concave. Pterothorax reddish brown with mesepisternal and metepimeral iridescent green stripes, venter, and metepimeron mostly ivory white. Legs and coxae ivory white. Tarsi, spurs, and claws black ( Figs. 5 a - d). Seven external spurs on right metafemur and eight on left metafemur, as long as space between them or shorter, gradually increasing in size toward apex. Seven external spurs on right metatibia and eight on left metatibia, as long as space between them or shorter, gradually decreasing in size toward apex. Tarsal claws with well developed supplementary tooth. Wings hyaline. Pt red, ratio between distal and proximal length about 1:1.5. CuP reaching CuPAA slightly distal to confluence of CuPAA with hind margin of wing. Px 12 in FW, 10 in HW. RP 2 branching between Px 5 and 6 in FW, and between Px 4 and 5 in right HW and under Px 4 in left HW. Abdomen. Vent er i vory white. S1 – 6 dorsum and lateral terga red except: distal margin of S2 – 3, distal fifth of S4 – 5, distal ¾ of S6 black. Dorsum and lateral terga of S7 – 10 blue except dorso-distal margin of S10 black. S7 – 9 with distal dorsal row of denticles ( Figs. 5 a – d). Genital ligula (as in figure 6b) with apex slightly concave and pair of latero-apical lobes ending in sharp process directed proximad, small latero-medial pointed lobes and an inner medial hooklike process. Cercus ( Figs. 6 c – d) external side dark brown, internal light brown, approximately half as long as S10, with ventrobasal tooth, one external ventroapical, rounded process which is most distal point of the body, and rounded inner dorsal process. Paraproct bifid with ventral branch ivory white becoming dark brown through dorsal branch, both branches with rounded apices, distal point of ventral process reaching about 3/4 cercus length or slightly beyond. Total length 30 mm. Abdomen length 23 mm. FW length 17 mm. HW length 16 mm.

Variations in male paratypes. A black spot may be present anterior to median ocellus. Green iridescence varies from completely absent to covering most of frons. Pterothorax can be completely reddish brown. Seven to ten external metafemoral spurs. Six to eleven external metatibial spurs. 11 – 14 Px in FW, 8 – 10 in HW. RP 2 branching between Px 5 and 6 in FW, between Px 4 and 5 in HW. Total length 28 – 32 mm. Abdominal length 22 – 25 mm. FW length 17 – 19 mm. HW length 16 – 18 mm.

Allotype. Color pattern as in holotype but: Head. Olive green except rear and gena downwards from level of antenna base ivory white ( Figs. 5 a, c - d). Thorax. Brownish red areas in males olive green ( Figs. 5 a - d). Posterior prothoracic lobe directed dorsally, in dorsal view sinuous. Mesostigmal plates flat with latero-apical prominent process directed proximad ( Fig. 6 a). Eight external spurs on right metafemur and six on left metafemur; seven external spurs on right metatibia and eight on left metatibia. Px 12 in FW, 10 in HW. RP 2 branching between Px 5 and 6 in FW, between Px 4 and 5 in HW. Abdomen. S6 with middorsal black line starting at ¾ and widening in distal fourth, surrounded by greenish ivory white; S7–10 dorsum black and lateral terga greenish ivory white except for pair of bluish gray lateral spots on dorsum of S10 ( Figs. 5 a - d). Brown sub - conical cercus, slightly shorter than S10, apex of cercus most distal point of body. Paraproct ivory white with pruinescence. Welldeveloped vulvar spine, ivory white with brown tip. Sub - basal plate of ovipositor triangular. Teeth along outer valve of ovipositor arranged in row that begins at half its length and runs distally to tip. Ovipositor not including stylus reaching distal margin of S10. Ovipositor ivory white with edge of valve and stylus brown. Total length 30 mm. Abdomen length 23 mm. FW length 19 mm. HW length 17 mm.

Variation in female paratypes. Six to seven metafemoral external spurs. Six to eight metatibial external spurs. 11–12 Px in FW, 10–11 in HW. RP 2 branching between Px 4 and 6 in FW, between Px 4 and 6 in HW. Total length 28–30 mm. Abdomen length 22 – 23 mm. FW 18 – 19 mm. HW length 16 – 17 mm.

Diagnosis. The new species fits the generic diagnosis given by Garrison et al. 2010 except for: genital ligula with small latero-medial pointed lobes; male cercus with only one ventro-apical process; and ventral branch of paraproct narrower than half of cercus.

Biology. This highland species is not exclusive to the páramo . Populations are numerous and conspicuous. I observed males perching on the emerging macrophytes in groups without apparent competition between them. In the evening, some males were seen in wooded areas close to the lakes; all populations occurred close to forest habitats, which can be a clue of how important this shelter is for this species. Pairs in tandem or in copula were seen ovipositing during midday. Two pairs were observed initiating the wheel position ( Fig. 4 a) until end, the whole process taking 11 minutes 5 seconds (+/ – 1 minute) on average, which according to Córdoba - Aguilar & Cordero - Rivera (2008) could indicate female cryptic choice, or sperm displacement, or both. Numerous ovipositing pairs were observed, females laying their eggs on macrophytes by submerging their abdomen. On one occasion a microparasitoid (Hymenoptera) was seen close to where a female was ovipositing ( Fig. 4 c), but it did not seem to disturb female activity. One male teneral was observed perched on a macrophyte after hatching, but with its wings completely bent [according to Corbet (1999) Stage 3]; it took 35 minutes to extend them completely and its first flight on that hot day was around noon. No exuviae were found ( Fig. 3 b).

Distribution. Known from the northern portion of Central and Oriental Mountain Ranges in Antioquia and Santander Departments ( Colombia), between 2,400 and 3,270 m.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Sympetrum paramo: (a) Teneral female and exuvia (Páramo El Congo); (b) Male (Páramo El Morro). Erythrodiplax connata- group (Cauca, Timbio): (c) Mature male; (d) Immature male (same coloration as females).

FIGURE 4. (a) Ischnura ramburii female (Páramo El Morro). (b) Oxyallagma colombianum, teneral male (Antioquia, Labores). Oxyallagma dissidens: (c) Female (Nariño, La Cocha); (d) Male (Cauca, Silvia).

FIGURE 5. Oxyallagma colombianum: (Páramo Sabanas): (a) Pair in wheel position; (b) Tandem pair; (Antioquia, Labores): (c) Ovipositing pair with microparasitoid close to the oviposition place; (d) Tandem pair (photograph by Cintia Moreno).

FIGURE 6. Oxyallagma colombianum (Páramo Sabanas): Female paratype: (a) Dorsal view of pronotum posterior lobe and mesostigmal plates. Male paratype (Páramo Las Baldías): (b) Ectal view of genital ligula; (c) Lateral view of caudal appendages; (d) Medio - dorsal view of caudal appendages. l-m. l.: Latero-medial lobes. m. p.: Mesostigmal plates. p. p. l.: Pronotum posterior lobe. e. v – ap. p.: Ventroapical external process. v – b t.: Ventrobasal tooth. i. d. p.: Inner dorsal process. p. d. b.: Paraproct dorsal branch. p. v. b.: Paraproct ventral branch. Illustrations by Natalia Uribe Macias.